Myths are also used as cautionary tales. There are many creatures and kami that exist that were used to teach lessons to children. Kappa’s are one of those creatures. “The Kappa is a mythological monster said to inhabit ponds and rivers in Japan. This strange creature is said to have t...
See Haarmann, Harald and Marler, Joan, 2008, “Introducing the Mythological Crescent: Ancient Beliefs and Imagery connectng Eurasia with Anatolia“ Leave a comment Featured The Legend of the Twin Pines, and Jo and Uba – the Happy Married Couple (尉と媼 Jō-to-Uba) Jotomba, the ...
The study is devoted to the meaning and the main types of divinatory practices in the Japanese antiquity. The main objects of the study are the texts written in 8th c., such as two mythological and historic annals, “Records of Ancient Matters” (“Kojiki”) and “The Chronicles of Japan...
She is also eager to expand their middle-grade list, especially story-driven books with a commercial plot: she is currently working on a mythological fantasy story from Kazakhstan and a historical crime-mystery series from Sweden. Her enthusiasm was infectious as she introduced two brand new ...
Is there a lesson in this picture of destructive rage and do mythological inventions help to explain to us how we are and how we might change? Yoshikuni. The Thunder God Kanshoji, 1828 Michizane, also known as Tenjin, and Kanshojo, was born in the ninth century (847-903), deified as...
Japanese Yokai can be cute. On the flipside, they can be utterly evil and scary too! Here are 15 deadly Yokai you’d never want to meet, within or outside of Japan.
Dragons are important mythological creatures in Chinese culture. Entertaining and decorative dragon costumes often make an appearance in performances during certain celebrations, such as National Day and Chinese New Year. These costumes and the creatures they represent have large symbolic significance. The...
Kappas are mythological creatures in Japanese folk tales who can cause trouble for humans. They are believed to be messengers of the god of water. This is a Japanese “Lorax” folktale with a cautionary message about taking care of our earth! A human boy and a young Kappa become unlikely ...
This curious instrument was invented by Kotei, one of the three Chinese Emperors of the Mythological age. Kotei was the son of the Emperor Yuhi. Before he was born his mother had a vision which foretold that her son would be a great man. One summer evening she went out to walk in the...
The "badger" is a mistranslation of Tanuki / Mujina, for the real-life badger and mythological badger exerted no major impact on Japan's Tanuki lore or Mujina lore. Indeed, the badger 貛 (Chn. = Huān, Jp. = Kan) rarely appears in Chinese or Japanese mythology. When it does, it ...